This wreck has been designated a controlled site under The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of
Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2009.

Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
The armoured cruiser HMS HAMPSHIRE struck a mine laid by the German submarine U75 and sank with a great loss of life.
Source: Dictionary of Disasters at Sea.

The position of loss given at the Court of Enquiry is '[about 1.5 miles off the shore between the Borough of Birsay and Marwick Head'. Sub. Lt Spence, RNR gives the position as 'bearing WNW [magnetic] and 2 miles from Marwick Head', but he also states that 'she bore west [magnetic] from the centre of Birsay Bay'. Two positions - a) 59 07 00N, 003 25 10W, and b) 59 07 20N, 003 25 30W were given by Lt Riddel, RN at the Court of Enquiry.
Source: papers now with Public Records Office, Kew.

Surveying Details
-----------------------------
9 July 1926. The Court of Enquiry position of about 1.5 miles offshore is accepted, which gives approximately 59 07 30N, 003 23 00W.

3 June 1957. A request to purchase the wreck was from Mr W Johnston.

8 August 1967. The vessel will not be sold due to the great loss of life. It is now regarded as a naval grave.

23 August 1979. The site is now confirmed as a designated war grave.
Report by DCSE Procurement Executive, 15 August 1979.

18 September 1979. The site is reported to have been filmed by a German film company in 1977 and 1979. Naval law was approached for any positional data that may be available.

11 Augsut 1983. It is report that divers from the Swedish motor salvage vessel 'STENA WORKHORSE' have landed artifacts, including a propeller, from this wreck without first having obtained permission. They have been instructed by MOD to replace them.
Report from BBC Radio 4, 10 August 1983 and Naval Law telecommunication 11 August 1983.

5 August 1992. The site was located in August 1983 at decca [n scot] red a 18.92, green a 37.97 using a rov. It lies with its keel on an approximate orientation of 150/330 degrees with an opening in hull near starboard quarter. Masts and other debris lies to the east of the wreck.
Report by motor salvage sessel STENA WORKHORSE - includes drawing dated 8 August 1983.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Classified as cruiser: date of loss cited as 5 June 1916). HMS Hampshire: this warship was mined between Marwick Head and the Brough of Birsay, about 2 miles offshore.
Registration: London. Built 1903. 10850 tons displacement. Length: 135m. Beam: 21m.
(Location of loss cited as N59 7.5 W3 23.0).
I G Whittaker 1998.

(Proposed for designation as a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986). The armoured cruiser HMS Hampshire was detached from the Grand Fleet for the special duty of conveying Lord Kitchener and his staff to Russia. She left Scapa Flow on 5 June 1916. A gale rendered the destroyer escort useless and they returned to Scapa; the Hampshire carried on alone. At about 7.40pm HMS Hampshire hit a mine and sank.
Of the complement of 655 men and 7 passengers, only 12 men survived. Lord Kitchener and his staff all perished.
[The citation by MOD of this wreck as lying within Scapa Flow is erroneous].
Information from MOD (Military Maritime Graves consultation) per Mr I Oxley (Historic Scotland), 7 February 2002.

This wreck has been designated a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains ACT (PMRA), 1986.
(Historic connection with Lord Kitchener noted: comprehensive list of Controlled Sites in article).
Source: Stuart Bryan in Nautical Archaeology, 2001.3, p. 12.
NMRS, MS/2745.

Plans and photographs of this vessel are held in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
(For online catalogue of negatives, see www.nmm.ac.uk/historicphotographs).
Information from Ms G Fabri (NMM), 7 November 2003.